Been working on 2001 accord vtec 4banger. Last Friday, it was two quarts of oil low. Today, I check the oil level again and it was two quarts low again, within a week. The car is dry, no visible oil leaks, top and bottom gaskets are dry. No spotting in parking stall and no throw back underneath either. Did the timing belt, seals seem ok and dry. So, Im like WTF! Anyone?

 

It's burning oil profusely.

How many miles was the car driven during the week?

What type and viscosity of oil are you using?

 

I'd check the PCV valve as that can cause oil consumption. Too high of a flow rate can withdraw the oil back into the IM and into the combustion chamber.

Does it blow out blue smoke when start it up cold? If so, thats your valve guide or seal is bad. If it puffs out blue smoke while you're on the gas pedal, it's your oil control rings.

 

Target250R
5w-30 fully synthetic
Last Sept. switch from convention oil to fully synthetic, thats is when the issue was first detected. 1500 miles ago, the check engine light came on, took it in to the mechanic, added 5qts. Then reset the check engine light.
The car has been driven 100 miles since last week, we added 2 qts.

Nus dogg
What is the proper procedure to check the pc valve?
There is no blue or any kind of smoke during cold start up. I will double check tomorrow morning. I hoping Im not color blind.
I dont dectect any kind of burning oin smell either.
So far, its a myth. Dont know what is happening to the oil.
Anyone else have feedback?
Thanks

 

1. Remove the PCV valve and inspect the hose going to the intake manifold for signs of excessive oil being present.

2. If excessive oil is present in the PCV hose, replace the PCV valve with a Geniune Honda one that is made specifically for your model year Accord.

GM has a TSB about the wrong flow rate of PCV causing oil consumption too.

 

Ok, wait. Your CEL came on and you went straight to a mechanic? Fault #1

The diagnosis was that the car was out of oil? Fault #2

You know you're losing oil so you switched to synthetic? Fault #3

You're eating oil like crazy since running the engine dry and you've yet to do anything about it? Fault #4

 

Oil consumption that bad im pretty sure you would see blue smoke, double check for oil leaks, splatter, dirt covering oil etc. is my vote. steam clean the engine google the procedures and check for the above i mentioned.

 

1. Why and when did you start using 5W-30 instead of the 5W-20 specified? Has any higher viscosity ever been used in this engine?

2. Synthetic oil (and especially Mobil 1) has been proven to burn off significantly faster than natural oil.

P1259, VTEC system malfunction - caused by lack of oil pressure.

The engine doesn't even hold 5 quarts of oil, so in other words it was totally empty. Someone hadn't been checking their oil level regularly as they should...

2 quarts in 100 miles? That engine is done. Pick up a used engine from a salvage yard and swap it. Make sure to buy a ULEV engine if the car is a ULEV model.

Not necessarily.

 

Crap! Im back. Car keeps waisting oil. Since I last posted up, the car had been driven about 500 miles and oil was at the last dop on at the end of the dip stick. PCV valve was swap out with a brand spanking new one from the dealer. The only thing I did not have time for was to take off the hose leading into the intake to inspect or clean it out. I didn not clean out the intake manifold period, didnt have time for it, but looks like Im gonna do that next.
Im still open for any other possiblities.
Thanks for hearing me out.

 

That's a loss of just under 1 quart in 500 miles.

It's burning oil, the rings are bad. That's all there is to it.

 

Bummer! Im gonna be skeptical, check compression (Wett&dry) and do abit more research. What would be the diagnosis for bad rings? Im just asking, because Its not my car I dont drive every day and would not notice any difference. To be honest, I drove it for the first time this weekend. I thought it ran like crap, and Im comparing it to a crap civic sadan I use to have and hated. Im use to drinving my cb7 coupe and my buddy use to have a late model integra gsr before he baught this 2001 vtec sadan.
Ill post up my compression test and im still open for more feed back
Thanks agian

 

If you're burning that much oil, it will show up out the tailpipe.

Your engine may have fallen victim to the infamous F23 casting defect. It will eventually allow engine oil to seep through a porous section of the block and into your cooling system.
Check there for oil.

 

No, it won't.

I've seen plenty of engines with seized oil control rings that burn a quart of oil in 500 miles but don't noticeably smoke at all. F23s and K20s/K24s are particularly notorious for it.

If multiple quarts of oil had entered the cooling system, he'd know it already. I've seen plenty of those too. The car wouldn't make it more than a few miles without overheating.

It's not even really possible for multiple quarts of oil to enter the cooling system without an oil/coolant milkshake showing up in the oil pan, under the valve cover, and on the dip stick.

 

Do a leakdown test, it'll tell you what is wrong. Also, if you know how to interpret vacuum readings, that'll also tell you if you have worn out valve seals or not.